Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Chiba Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Chiba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,374 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,213 in Chiba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,313 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,915 in Chiba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,252 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,617 in Chiba.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 13% more expensive than in Chiba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Chiba is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 59.8K

$6.53 ¥1,028

-49.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.33 Rp 635.6K

$31.89 ¥5,020

10.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 Rp 95.9K

$4.84 ¥761

10.12%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.5K

$3.22 ¥506

-14.60%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 Rp 31.1K

$1.00 ¥157

73.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

$0.73 ¥115

9.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

$1.88 ¥296

56.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 Rp 79.9K

$1.89 ¥297

134.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 27.0K

$1.45 ¥228

3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.3K

$1.66 ¥261

38.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 Rp 19.8K

$3.72 ¥586

-70.43%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.9K

$1.42 ¥224

52.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.09 Rp 307.4K

$10.97 ¥1,726

55.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 Rp 69.8K

$6.21 ¥977

-37.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.92 Rp 214.4K

$14.34 ¥2,258

-16.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 Rp 64.1K

$5.67 ¥892

-37.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 Rp 28.5K

$2.74 ¥431

-42.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Rp 42.5K

$2.97 ¥467

-20.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.4K

$4.17 ¥656

-52.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.5K

$2.56 ¥403

-29.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 Rp 43.0K

$2.54 ¥400

-5.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

$1.24 ¥195

-17.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 Rp 8,841

$0.81 ¥127

-39.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 40.4K

$3.79 ¥596

-40.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.30 Rp 401.2K

$3.59 ¥565

521.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 Rp 42.6K

$1.81 ¥285

30.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.1K

$2.08 ¥328

39.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,482

$0.82 ¥130

-69.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.55 Rp 153.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,950

$3.15 ¥496

-86.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,598

$2.48 ¥391

-83.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 Rp 101.9K

$20.28 ¥3,192

-72.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

$1.08 ¥170

-25.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$23.7K Rp 427.1M

$21.9K ¥3.5M

8.24%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$31.0K Rp 557.4M

$14.6K ¥2.3M

111.96%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$82.3 Rp 1.5M

$75.8 ¥11.9K

8.64%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$6.30 Rp 113.3K

$24.04 ¥3,784

-73.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.63 Rp 335.3K

$16.19 ¥2,549

15.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 Rp 984.7K

$54.5 ¥8,571

0.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 Rp 331.9K

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 Rp 76.3K

$10.41 ¥1,639

-59.27%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$484 Rp 8.7M

$629 ¥99.0K

-22.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,590 Rp 100.6M

$9,741 ¥1.5M

-42.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.77 Rp 823.5K

$50.0 ¥7,878

-8.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 Rp 642.2K

$33.07 ¥5,206

7.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$61.4 ¥9,667

27.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

$89.2 ¥14.0K

-10.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 Rp 20.6M

$852 ¥134.1K

34.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 Rp 12.2M

$490 ¥77.1K

38.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,504 Rp 63.0M

$1,319 ¥207.7K

165.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 Rp 30.4M

$916 ¥144.3K

84.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,788 Rp 50.2M

$4,586 ¥721.9K

-39.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,257 Rp 40.6M

$3,742 ¥589.1K

-39.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$1,546 ¥243.4K

-89.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

2.11

553.08%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 28, 2026

Last update for Chiba: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,147 in Ubud, Bali and $852 in Chiba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiba pays 837% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $32.00 in Chiba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $284 per month, with Chiba cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ubud, Bali vs Chiba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Chiba differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,374 vs $1,213 including rent). Chiba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 837% lower in Chiba. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,147 in Ubud, Bali versus $852 in Chiba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $484 in Ubud, Bali versus $629 in Chiba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiba – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,213 in Chiba versus $1,374 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chiba but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Chiba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Chiba are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.